Multiple compartment refrigeration installation



Jan. 29, 1963 F. BRUGGER 3,

MULTIPLE COMPARTMENT REFRIGERATION INSTALLATION Filed Sept. 26. 1960 6 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. F7'arlz RFC/66E? Jan. 29,- 1963 F. BRUGGER- 3,075,670

MULTIPLE COMPARTMENT REFRIGERATION INSTALLATION Filed Sept. 26, 1960 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 v r v n a p 1 a INVENTOR. 5am: BPUGGEP Jan. 29,- 1963 F. BRUGGER 3,075,670

MULTIPLE COMPARTMENT REFRIGERATION INSTALLATION Filed Sept. 26, 1960 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 4 \E uummmmum gas I INVENTOR. Franz EFLGGEF Jan. 29, 1963 F. BRUGGER 3,075,670

MULTIPLE COMPARTMENT REFRIGERATION INSTALLATION Filed Sept. 26. 1960 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR. Franz BPU'GG ER Jan. 29; 1963 F. BRUGGER 3,07

MULTIPLE COMPARTMENT REFRIGERATION INSTALLATION Filed Sept. 26, 1960 6 SheetsSheet 5 5; EH H1 INVENTOR.

Franz BPUGGEP F. BRUGGER 3,075,670 MULT'IPLE COMPARTMENT REFRIGERATION INSTALLATION Jan. 29, 1963 Filed Sept. 26, 1960 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 Wm M a w m 27; L; 7 w A? i 5 1 a M F m; w 1% Z t r 7 .a W 6 l w A: i T r 7 T i u a D: I k

INVENTOR. FmrrzBPUGGEP 3,975,676 MULTHLE COMPARTMENT IEFRZGTERATEON INS"ALLATEUN Franz Briigger, Steeier Str. 43-45, Essen (Ruhr), Germany Filed Sept. 26, 1960, Ser. No. 58,263 Claims priority, application Germany st. 7, 1959 19 Claims. or. 221-76) The present invention relates to a multiple cabinet refrigerating installation comprising an insulated housing and a plurality of circularly arranged multiple cabinets, the compartments of which are accessible from the outside while said cabinets are arranged around a centrally located evaporator group with cooling air passing from the core in radial outward direction, said installation being provided with doors for the compartments of said cabinets in such a way that the doors are offset with regard to each other while skipping every other compartment sector.

It is an object of the present invention further to improve a refrigerating installation of the above mentioned type so that the refrigerating installation may preferably be employed as a coin-operated meal-dispensing automat. Such automats and also semi-automatic apparatuses without being coin-operable have recently been installed in self-service stores, preferably in super markets, to allow the customers to buy complete menus in cooked form ready for service so that it would have merely to be thawed out or defrosted at home and to be heated up. Deep frozen foods have, over ready-made foods sold in cans without deep freezing, the advantage of being fresh and of a better taste conservation. The wishes of consumers furthermore make it necessary that a greater number of menus will be available and that the menus consist not merely of cooked-together food as it i the case with menus in cans. It is rather requited that a menu comprises a plurality of separate dishes such as for instance soup, meat, vegetables, potatoes, and a dessert.

It is, therefore also an object of this invention to provide a coin-operated meal-dispensing automat in form of a refrigerating installation, which will meet the above mentioned requirements of the consumers.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will appear more clearly from the following specification in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates a front view of a multi-cabinet refrigerating automat according to the invention for dispensing ready-made menus, one wall being omitted to expose the interior of said refrigerating automat.

FIG. 2 is top view of the interior of the refrigerating automat, the top plate of said automat being removed.

FIG. 3 is a horizontal section along the line III-III of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a vertical section taken along the line IVIV of FIG. 2, a part of the frame of the cabinet being shown in view.

FIG. 5 is a rear view of the automat of FIG. 1, which shows some of the loading doors offset with regard to each other.

FIG. 6 is an electric diagram of a control circuit for use in connection with an automat of the present invention.

FIG. 7 represents a vertical section through a carousel system with four automatically rotatable carousel parts.

General Arrangement The primary object of the present invention namely the provision of a refrigerating automat for the freezing of uncooked or unfinished cooked menus inserted in warm condition into said automat and for storing said menus at storing cold temperatures for easy withdrawal 31,075,670 Patented Jan. 29, 1963 by the customer has been realized according to the present invention by providing the multi-cabinet refrigerating installation set forth in the first paragraph of this application with loading and discharging openings adapted to be closed and preferably arranged opposite to each other while in the core of the installation guiding means are provided for guiding the cooling air. This guiding means, which preferably has the shape of a cylinder, is Within the loading range of the installation provided with passages for the cold air to the cabinets, Whereas within the discharging range it is closed to protect the compartments against frezing air.

In this way, an intensive guiding of the cold air over the freshly loaded goods will be assured for obtaining a high penetrating speed of the cold air and thus a shocklike optimum effect upon the cell water so that the warm goods will quickly be frozen to the customary temperatures of below 20 C. On the other hand, at the dispensing side of the automat there will prevail merely stationary cool storing air of approximately -15 C., and the undesired escape of valuable heat units (quantities of cold air) through the dispensing doors will be prevented as far as possible. This has the further advantage that a person withdrawing goods from said refrigerating installation will not be bothered by escaping cold air.

The interior of the refrigerating automat may be equipped with a single carousel-like compartment ring known per se or according to the present invention, the multi-cabinet annular arrangements may be provided on two or more rotary platforms so that the individual stories alternately pertain to different rotary platforms.

According to a further development of the invention, the dispensing doors may be so arranged that every two or more dispensing doors are arranged adjacent each other while skipping one compartment and are offset vertically with regard to each other by one story. Such an arrangement considerably increases the number of the menus to be offered and also increases the number of the dispensing possibilities. Such an arrangement has the further advantage that a plurality of consumers may at the same time select and withdraw different menus. A customer who is standing in front of his row of dispensing doors does not have to wait for or to consider another customer standing in front of another row of dispensing doors and in the compartment faced by him has not found the desired contents so that the carousel has to be advanced by one sector. Another advantage obtained by the arrangement according to the invention consist in that complicated electric selector relays will not be necessary because the arrangement according to the invention affords the possibility of storing a first menu on one rotary platform and of storing a second menu on another rotary platform so that the customer has merely to open the respective door in order to find the desired goods. This results in a quicker service which is of great importance for the operation of supermarkets.

Structural Arrangement Referring now to the drawings in detail, the automat shown therein comprises a frame 1 with supports 2 and an insulated housing 3 with lid 4. At will be evident from FIG. 2, the upper portion of housing 3 is of an octagonal shape, whereas the lower portion of the housing 3 forms an irregular hexagon (FIG. 3). Below the housing 3 and on the frame 1 there is mounted the refrigeration machinery with motor 5, compressor 6 and condenser 7. The cold producer proper is formed by the evaporator 8 which is centrally arranged in lid 4 and is shaped in the form of a ring. Below the evaporating coils 8a there is provided an annular collecting pan 9 for water resulting from the melted ice. A fan motor 10' is mounted in the central opening of the evaporator ring and is connected in any desired manner. The lower end of the motor 143 carries a propeller 11 which produces the flow of cold air while directing the same downwardly. In the wall of the housing 3 which may be insulated with cork or synthetic insulating material such as foam material, there are provided door openings which are adapted to be closed by dispensing doors 12 and 13 (12a, 12b, 13a, 13b, etc.) and by the loading doors 14, 15 and 1d.

The carousel system 17 is arranged in the interior of the refrigerating automat and in conformity with FIG. 3 is of annular shape and has sector-like compartments 18. As will be seen in FIG. 1 a greater number of these sector-like compartments 18 are arranged one above the other. The lateral walls as well as the, bottom and the ceiling ofeach compartment 18 are closed and only that small Wall portion which faces the core of the automat, as well as the wall portiondrawer openingfacing outwardly are open in order to allow passage of the. cold air. The central opening 19 of the carousel serves for conveying the cold air coming from the evaporator 8 and distributes the said cold air to the individual shelf stories. M ounted in the cylindrical. opening is a vertical air guiding cylinder 20 which extends from the evaporator 8 to the bottom 21 of the interior of the housing and either stands on said bottom fixedly mounted thereto or is suspended below the evaporator 8 (FIG. 4). "In the first mentioned instance, between the upper edge of cylinder 20. and the bottom side of the evaporator 8, there is provided a curtain, e.g. of canvas, which serves as a seal between evaporator 8 and cylinder 20 for preventing cold air from escaping toward the out.- side and assuring that the, total air flow will pass into cylinder 20. In the second instance, the cylinder directly follows the propeller passage. Cylinder 20. has a plurality of windows which in conformity with FIGS. 2 and 3 are not distributed over the entire circumference of cylinder 20 but are arranged; only within the range outside the respective compartments 1 8, which happen to be in alignment with the discharging doors 12 and 13. Within the range of these compartments, the entire circumferential wall of cylinder 20 is closed. Within the remaining range, the cylinder has Windows 22 which when looking from the top downwardly (FIG. 4) increase in area. On the, outside of cylinder 29 at the marginal portion of the lateral windows. 22, there are arranged sealing brushes 22a extruding in downward direction for preventing condensed air flows. The cold air passes from propeller 11, downwardly in cylinder 20 and leaves the latter through windows 22,.toward the loading side. The air pass-es through the. compartments 18 in outward direction to near the inner wall of housing 3. It is. here where the wind is deflected upwardly so that it will be subjected to the suction effect of the fan '11 and returned to the evaporator 8. The size of the Window 22 in the various stories is so selected that the flow velocity of the cold air through compartments 18 will everywhere be approximately of the same magnitude.

The structural design. of the carousel will be evident from FIGS. 2 and 4. As will be seen from these figures, the carousel comprises two coaxially arranged annular frames with stories which are offset relative to each other and interengage each other. The outer frame 23 stands upright and is mounted on an annular turntable 24 sup ported by antifriction bearings and mounted on the bottom 21. The upper race of'the turntable 24 carries a supporting cylinder 24 with windows 26. At each lower edge of the windows 26 there are mounted brackets 27 (FIG. 2) supporting annular story bottoms 28. The distance between the bottom 28 corresponds to twice the height of the compartments 18. Frame may be rotated by means of a simple friction wheel drive 29 drivingly connected with an electric motor (not shown). The inner frame 3% is journalled in a suspended manner. To

this end, four gallows-shaped supports 31 are mounted in housing 3 and have their angled-oil ends 32 extend radially inwardly below the evaporator group 8. The upper ends oi gallows 31, 32 support an annular rail 33 having mounted thereon rimmed rollers 34 to which is suspended a cylindrical support 35. This cylindrical support 35 is arranged within the frame 25 but outside the air guiding cylinder 20 and is perforated, for instance in a wire meshlike manner. The circumferential portion of the support 35 is provided at uniform distances with annular story plates 36 mounted above each other in spaced arrangement in such a way that they extend half way between the stories 28 and end near the inside Wall of the frame cylinder 26. The suspended cylinder 35 extends downwardly near to the bottom 21 where. it is held in its position by a guiding ring 37. The inner frame 30 may be driven in a manner similar to the frame 23 by a drive corresponding to the drive 29.

The individual stories within the sector-shaped compartments l8 slidably support drawer-like containers 38, (FIG. 3) the shape of which is selected in conformity with the sector-shaped compartments 18. The containers 38 may consist of cardboard or synthetic material and are subdivided similar to snack trays. They may be covered from the. top by transparent lids. The containers 38 are provided with handles 39 which are segment-shaped and protrude outwardly from the compartments 18. They serve as handle for the containers 38 and for actuating contacts 40 on. the inside of the dispensing doors 12 and 13 whereby the doors need not be provided with glass windows which easily fog up.

According to FIG. 1, the dispensing doors 12 and 13 correspond to the size of a compartment 18 and permit a complete withdrawal of the containers 3Sv from the refrigerating automat. The doors 12, 13 are so arranged on the housing that they each time skip a sector, or a story in transverse and vertical direction. This brings about the advantage that sufiicient insulation remains between the individual doors and that no Warm air bridges can form. The individual stories are accessible alternately through doors 12 and 13-, which means that the doors 12 are offset with regard to the doors 13 by the height of a compartment.

In conformity with FIG. 2, the loading doors 13 and 15 may be arranged so as to skip a sector whereby different goods can be inserted from two positions into the freezer. If desired, according to FIG. 3 one door 116 only may be employed for loading. The arrangement of the loading doors 14 and 15 is illustrated in FIG. 5, by a cover plate 2a covering the base of the automat.

When operating a refrigerating automat according to the invention, preferably in the evening preceding the day at which the goods of the refrigerating automat are to be sold, drawers 38 with correspondingly packed warm meals are loaded through doors 14 and 15 or 16 into the compartments l3, and; for instance, in such a way that alternately the stories will be loaded with menus, A and B, or, if desired, the sectors may be loaded alternately with the menus A and B. In the first mentioned instance, one or the other menu type is withdrawn through the doors 12 and 13, respectively, whereas in the second instance, both types of menus can be withdrawn through both doors. The stored menus as long as they are stored within the range of the windows 22 of cylinder 20, are frozen by the cold wind produced by, the fan 11. When the menus, due to actuation of the carousel, come into the range of the dispensing doors 12 and 13, they are not any longer under the direct influence of the cold air flow because the closed portion of cylinder 12 will separate the air in the respective compartments from the remaining air flow and will thus keep the cold air stationary.

The menu deep freezing automat is designed as coinoperated automat. Therefore, the front side of housing 3 (FIG; 2) is provided with an operating table 41 for the coin-operated and actuating devices. Inasmuch as it is of importance that the customer withdraw a menu from the respective compartment promptly and properly and firmly closes again the respective door 12 or 13 in order to avoid heat losses, an automatic coupling is provided between the closing operation of the door and the dispensing of change of the coin-operated or cash registering device. The arrangement is such that there is no possibility of inserting into the automat exactly the right amount of money for a menu. It is rather necessary to pay a round amount in greater coins by inserting these coins in customary manner in a slot 42. After the customer by actuating the selective switch 43 has caused the selected menu to move in front of the respective dispensing door, which is indicated in view of the establishment of contacts 39 and 46 by causing a bulb 44 to light up, the customer opens the door which up to that time was automatically locked and withdraws the container 38 with the menu. Only after a complete and proper closing of the door, will the release of the change to the changereceiving cup 45 be electrically initiated. In other words, Without closing the respective door, the customer will not be able to receive his change.

The automatic operation of the refrigeration installation according to the invention will best become apparent rom FIG. 6. The refrigerating installation is connected to the network by means of the phases RSTO'. The left portion of the diagram shows the electric circuit of the refrigerating automat and of the ventilator. The motor 46 for the refrigerating machine as well as the motor 47 for the ventilator or blower 11 are electrically connected to the network through the intervention of relays 43 and 49, main switch 5% and fuses 51. The control circuit 52 is in customary manner connected to the zero phase of the network and comprises the magnetic valve 53 for the entire installation, the magnetic valve 54 for the refrigerating chamber, the high pressure switch 55 for the refrigerating chamber, as well as the defrosting switch clock 56 with defrosting heater 57. The described circuit operates in a WeP-knoWn manner so that a detailed description of the ope-ration does not appear to be necessary.

The right-hand side of the diagram comprises the details of the circuit which allow the removal of a menu. This circuit is independent of the first described circuit. The carousel motor 58 is by means of a conductor 59' and relay 60, main switch 61 and fuses 62 connected to the network. The zero phase of the network serves for cont-rolling the motor 58 and in addition thereto for locking the door and releasing the coins. By insertion of a coin by a customer, the coin contact 63 is closed. The customer then actuates the selector switch 43 whereby he pre-selects the movement of a certain carousel part which contains the menu desired by the customer. In the diagram of FIG. 6, the drive for only one single carousel part has been shown with motor 58. However, it is to be visualized that the other motors for the other carousel parts are connected 'to the other contact points of the selector switch 43. The arrangement or circuit of the other carousel motors is the same as that shown in FIG. 6 in connection with motor 58.

When the selector switch 43 has been actuated, the relay becomes energized and closes whereby motor 58 is started. The carousel now turns, and as soon as a menu insert 38 has been aligned with the inner opening of the respective door, the handle 33 of the insert 3% engages the contact yoke 40 of the main contact 64 (FIG. 3) whereupon the main contact 64 actuates on one hand the coin release 65 and on the other hand interrupts the circuit for motor 58 so that relay 6% becomes de-energized and drops off. The carousel then stops. At the same time, the main contact 64 energizes the relay for the door lock 66 so that door 13 may now be opened. The customer then withdraws the selected menu. Subsequently, he closes the door 13 whereby the second contact of the door lock 66 is closed and the relay actuates the change return 67 to return any change to the customer if he has paid in excess of the amount due. Thus, the customer will receive his change only if he has fully closed the door. In this way, cold losses will be avoided. If it should happen that a compartment 18 does not contain a menu insert 38, the carousel will continue its rotation until a filled compartment 1% will be aligned with the withdrawal door. Only then the withdrawal door may be opened whereas it cannot be opened when the compartment is empty because the handle 3% of the insert 38 as actuating means for the main contact 40 or 64 would be missing.

It may also happen that the carousel 17 does not contain any filled compartments 18 anymore because all menus have been withdrawn. In such an instance, it is, of course, necessary that the money put in by the customer be returned to him. To this end, a return contact 68 with coin return 69 is provided. When the customer notices that the carousel rotates continuously and does not stop so that due to the absence of any menu inserts 33, no withdrawal door can be opened, the customer presses the return contact 68. As a result thereof, the relay for the coin return 69 becomes energized and the previously inserted coin will be released from coin release 65 and return to the customer.

Preferably, the compartments 18 with their closed side walls, bottoms and ceilings are interconnected for each story by forming a ring or annulum. The side walls of one compartment will then simultaneously form the side wall of the neighboring compartment. The bottoms and ceilings of all compartments may consist of annular sheet metal parts and the bottoms and ceilings will be spaced from each other by the desired height of the compartments. The thus shaped segmental rings forming annular sub-divided boxes are mounted on or screwed to the brackets 27 or to the bottoms 28 or the plates 36-.

It is, of course, also possible without any material changes to arrange two outer frames separate from each other and adapted to move independently of each other, while two inner frames are rotatably arranged below each other. In such an instance, four carousel parts could be moved independenty of each other so that for instance four different menus could be withdrawn separately. Such a four-part carousel system is shown in FIG. 7 but without the housing of the refrigerating automat inasmuch as such housing including the refrigerating machine would be the same as that shown in FIG. 1.

The arrangement according to FIG. 7 comprises four parts 79, 71, '72 and 73 independent of each other. Part 76 comprises a supporting cylinder 74 and window 75. Within the cylinder 74 there are arranged annular story metal sheets 76 extending freely toward the center of the arrangement. The lower portion of cylinder 74 is connected to the upper cup 77 of an anti-friction bearing race 78 whereby it is easily rotatable. Cylinder 74 is adapted to be driven by an electric motor '79 with rubber friction wheel 8% engaging the outer surface of the upper cup 77. Motor 79 with its control circuit is connected to the selector switch 43 (FIG. 6).

The carousel part 72 comprises a perforated cylinder 81 having its lower portion rotatably mounted on the anti-friction bearing race 82 and being adapted to be driven by motor 83 with friction wheel 84. Cylinder 81 has connected to the outside thereof story metal sheets 85 of annular shape extending between the story metal sheets 76. The upper two frame parts 71 and 73 are supported by a yoke 86 similar to the yoke 31 of FIG. 4. The yokes 86 are at the upper portion thereof support two annular rail tracks 87 and 88. Rollers 89 having suspended thereon the cylinder 9%? of the outer upper frame part 71 roll on the track 87. Framepart 71 with its stories 91 is designed in a manner corresponding to the lower part 79 and is rotated by means of a V-belt (not illustrated) engaging pulley 92. Frame'part 73 comprises cylinder 93 with stories 94 while the lower portion of cylinder 93 is guided by balls 95in the cylinder 81 of the lower inner part 72. The cylinder 93 is suspended at the upper part on rollers 96 adapted to roll on track 88. The drive of the inner part 73 is eifected through the intervention of a V-belt pulley 97. Extending from the top into the interior or the two cylinders 93 and 31 there is the pipe for the air which pipe is not shown in PEG. 7 but is visible in FIGS. 2, 3 and 4.

It is, of course, to be understood that the present invention is, by no means, limited to the particular construction shown in the drawings but also comprises any modifications within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a multiple compartment refrigeration installation: a housing, cold air producing means arranged within. the upper portion of said housing, tubular air guiding means substantially centrally arranged within said housing and extending from said cold air producing means to the lower portion of said housing, a plurality of compartments annularly arranged and rotatable about said guiding means, each of said compartments having a first opening adjacent said guiding means and having a second opening adjacent the circumferential wall of said housing whereby refrigerated air flows radially in said compartments, said housing having at least one loading opening adapted to communicate with said compartments for loading the.

same, said housing also having a plurality of discharging openings circumferentially spaced from said loading opening adapted to register with said second openings for withdrawing goods from the respective compartment facing the respective discharging opening, said guiding means.

having passage means therethrough located circumferentially outside the range of said discharging openings for, connection with the respective adjacent compartment through said first openings thereof and being closed relative to the respective compartments within the circumferential range of said discharging openings, first door means for selectively closing and opening said loading opening, and second door means for selectively opening and closing said discharging openings.

2. In a multiple compartment refrigeration inst-allat-iont. a; housing, cold air producing means arranged withinthe upper portion of said housing, tubular air guidingmeanssubstantially centrally arranged Within said housing and havingone end near said cold air producing means :and having its other end located in the lower portion of said. housing for receiving cold air from said cold air producing means and guiding said cold air downwardly, a plurality of compartments mounted within said housing and annularly arranged around said guiding means, said compartments being. rotatable relative to said housing and having a first opening at one side adjacent said guiding means and having a second opening at the opposite side adjacent the. wall of said housing whereby refrigerated air flows radially in said compartments, said housing having at least one charging opening for loading at least one respective compartment within the range of said charging opening, first door means for selectively closingand opening said charging opening, said housing also havinga plurality of discharging openings circumferentially remote from said charging opening to permit withdrawal, of goods from the respective compartment within the, range of said discharging openings, and second door means for opening and closing said discharging openings, said tubular guiding means having passage means therethrough located circumferentially outside the range of, said discharging openings for communication with. the respective adjacent compartments through said first openings thereof and being closed relative to the respective compartments within the circumferential range of said discharging openings.

3; An arrangement according to claim 1, which in cludes sub-dividedtray means arranged in said compartments for receiving food and adapted to be withdrawn therefrom.

4. An arrangement according to claim 1, in which said compartments have closed side walls and bottoms and ceilings.

5. In a multiple compartment refrigeration installation: a housing having a bottom, cold air producing means arranged in the upper portion of said housing and including evaporating means and propeller means and having passage means for conveying the produced cold air therethrough, tubular air guiding means mounted on the bottom of said housing and extending substantially vertically upwardly and having its upper end in communication with said passage means, a plurality of compartments annularly arranged androtatable about said guiding means, each of said compartments having a first opening adjacent said guiding means and having a second opening adjacent the circumferential Wall of said housing for the movement of refrigerated air radially in said compartments, said housing having at least oneloading opening adaptedato communicate with said compartments for loading the same, said housing also having a plurality of discharging opening circumferentially spacedfrom said loading opening and adapted to register with said second openings for withdrawing goods from the respective compartment facing the respective discharging opening, said guiding meanshaving passage means-therethrough located circumferentially outside the range of said discharging openings for connection with the respective adjacent compartment through said first openings thereof and being closed relative to the respective compartments within the circumferential range of said discharging openings, first door means for selectively closing and open-ing said loading opening, and second door means for selectively opening and closing said discharging openings.

6. An arrangement according to claim 5, which includes curtains interposed between the passage means of said cold air producing means and the upper end of said tubular guiding means.

7. In a multiple compartment refrigeration installation: a housing,.coldair producing means arranged within the upper portion of said housing, tubular air guiding means substantially centrally arranged within said housingandextending from said cold air producing means to the lower portion of said housing, a plurality of compartments arranged in a plurality of super-imposed groups, the compartments of each group being annularly arranged and rotatable about said guiding means, each of said compartments having a first opening adjacent said guiding means and having a second opening adjacent the circumferential wall of said housing, said housing having at least one loading opening adapted to communicate with said compartments for loading the same, said housing also-having a plurality of discharging openings adapted to register with said second openings for withdrawing goods from the respective compartment facing the respective discharging opening, said guiding means having a plurality of groups of passage means therethrough arranged at difierent levels corresponding to the groups of said compartments and located outside the range of said discharging openings for connection with the respective adjacent compartment through said first openings thereof and being closed relative to the respective compartments within the range of said discharging openings, the size of said groups of passage means varying with their distance from said cold air producingmeans so that the passage means of each group will obtain a cold. air flow of substantially the same magnitude, first door means for selectively closing and opening saidloading opening, and second door means for selectively opening and closing said discharging openings.

8. An arrangement according to claim 7, in which the size of the groups of passage means increases with the distance irom said cold air producing means.

9. In a multiple compartment refrigeration installation: a housing, cold air producing means arranged within the upper portion of said housing, tubular air guiding means substantially centrally arranged within said housing and extending from said cold air producing means to the lower portion of said housing, a plurality of groups of superimposed compartments, the compartments of each group being annularly arranged and rotatable about said guiding means, a plurality of turntable structures with frame structures supported thereby respectively supporting groups of said compartments, the arrangement being such that vertically successive groups of compartments are supported by different turntable structures, each of said compartments having a first ope ing adjacent said guiding means and having a second opening adjacent the circumferential wall of said housing for the movement of refrigerated air radially therethrough, said housing having at least one loading opening adapted to communicate with said compartments for loading the same, said housing also having a plurality of discharging openings circumferentially spaced from said loading opening and adapted to register with said second openings for withdrawing goods from the respective compartment facing the respective discharging opening, said guiding means having passage means therethrough located circumferentially outside the range of said discharging openings for connection with the respective adjacent compartment through said first openings thereof and being closed relative to the respective compartments within the circumferential range of said discharging openings, first door means for selectively closing and opening said loading opening, and second door means for selectively opening and closing said discharging openings.

10. In a multiple compartment refrigeration installation: a housing, cold air producing means arranged within the upper portion of said housing, tubular air guiding means substantially centrally arranged within said housing and extending from said cold air producing means to the lower portion of said housing, a plurality of groups of superimposed compartments, the compartments of each group being annularly arranged and rotatable about said guiding means, two turntable structures respectively arranged in the upper and lower portion of said housing and carrying frame means connected to different groups of compartments, the arrangement being such that alternate groups of compartments are carried by said turntable structures so that one turntable structure carries all uneven groups counting from the lowermost group upwardly, where-as the other turntable structure carries all even numbered groups likewise counting from the lowermost group upwardly, each of said compartments having a first opening adjacent said guiding means and having a second opening adjacent the circumferential wall of said housing, said housing having at least one loading opening adapted to communicate with said compartments for loading the same, said housing also having a plurality of discharging openings adapted to register with said second openings for withdrawing goods from the respective compartment facing the respective discharging opening, said guiding means having passage means therethrough located outside the range of said discharging openings for connection with the respective adjacent cornpartment through said first openings thereof and being closed relative to the respective compartments within the range of said discharging openings, first door means for selectively closing and opening said loading opening, and second door means for selectively opening and closing said discharging openings.

11. An arrangement according to claim in which the housing has a bottom, and in which one of said turntable structures is standing upwardly on said bottom, whereas the other turntable structure is suspended in the upper portion of said housing.

12. In a multiple compartment refrigeration installation: a housing, cold air producing means arranged within the upper portion of said housing, tubular air guiding means substantially centrally arranged within said housing and extending from said cold air producing means to the lower portion of said housing, a plurality of groups of superimposed compartments, the compartments of each group being annularly arranged and rotatable about said guiding means, a plurality of turntable structures with frame structures supported thereby respectively supporting groups of said compartments, the arrangement being such that vertically successive groups of compartments are supported by diiferent turntable structures, each of said compartments having a first opening adjacent said guiding means, one of the frame structures pertaining to one of said turntable structures comprising a cylinder with second openings therein, each of said second openings extending in vertical direction over two successive groups of compartments, said housing having at least one loading opening adapted to communicate with said compartments for loading the same, said housing also having a plurality of discharging openings adapted to register with said second openings for withdrawing goods from the respective compartment facing the respective discharging opening, said guiding means having passage means therethrough located outside the range of said discharging openings for connection with the respective adjacent compartment through said first openings thereof and .being closed relative to the respective compartments within the range of said discharging openings, first door means for selectively closing and opening said loading opening, and second door means for selectively opening and closing said discharging openings.

13. An arrangement according to claim II, in which the suspended turntable structure comprises a perforated cylinder supporting alternate groups of compartments and surrounding said guiding means, and supporting means mounted in the lower portion of said housing and rotatably supporting the upper end of said perforated cylinder.

14. In a multiple compartment refrigeration installation: a housing, cold air producing means arranged within the upper portion of said housing, tubular air guiding means substantially centrally arranged within said housing and extending from said cold air producing means to the lower portion of said housing, a plurality of groups or superimposed compartments, the compartments of each group being annularly arranged and rotatable about said guiding means, a plurality of turntable structures with frame structures supported thereby respectively supporting groups of said compartments, the arrangement being such that vertically successive groups of compartments are supported by different turntable structures, each of said compartments having a first opening adjacent said guiding means and having a second opening adjacent the circumferential wall of said housing, said housing having at least one loading opening adapted to communicate with said compartments for loading the same, said housing also having a plurality of discharging openings adapted to register with said second openings for withdrawing goods from the respective compartment facing the respective discharging opening, said guiding means having passage means therethrough located outside the range of said discharging openings for connection with the respective adjacent compartment through said first openings thereof and being closed relative to the respective compartments within the range of said discharging openings, first door means for selectively closing and opening said loading opening, and second door means for selectively opening and closing said discharging openings, at least some of said second door means and the openings pertaining thereto being arranged so as respectively to skip one sector of the same group of compartments and being offset with regard to the respective adjacent second door means and opening pertaining thereto by the height of a compartment of the adjacent group of compartments.

15. In a multiple compartment refrigeration installation: a housing, cold air producing means arranged within the upper portion of said housing, tubular air guiding means substantially centrally arranged within said housing and extending from said'cold air producing means to the lower portion of said housing, a plurality of compartments annularly arranged and rotatable about said guiding means, each of said compartments having a first opening adjacent said guiding means and having a second opening adjacent the circumferential wall of said housing, said housing having at least oneloading opening adapted to communicate with said compartments for loading the same, said housing also having a plurality of discharging opening adapted to register with said second openings for withdrawing goods from the respective compartment facing the respective discharging opening, said guiding means having passage meanstherethrough located outside the range of said discharging openings for connection. with the respective adjacent compartment through said first openings thereof and being. closed relative to the respec tive compartments within the range of said discharging openings, first door means for selectively closing and opening said loading opening, second door means for selectively opening and closing said discharging openings, coin responsive discharging means for receiving coin payment for the goods to be dispensed. from said compartments andfor initiating-opening ofthe second door means of the respective compartment, said coin receiving means being set'so that change has to be returned from the coin payment, a change dispensing mechanism, andmeans responsive to the reclosing of the respective second door means through which said goods were dispensed for actuating said change dispensing mechanism.

16. In a multiple compartment refrigeration installation: a housing, cold air producing means arranged within the upper portion of said housing, tubular air guiding means substantially centrally arranged within said housing and extending from said cold air producing means to the lower portion of said housing, a plurality of compartments annularly arranged and rotatable about said guiding means, each of said compartments having a first opening adjacent. said guidingmeans and having a second opening adjacent the circumferential wall of said housing, said housing having at least one loading opening adapted to communicate with said compartments for loading the same, said housing also having a plurality of discharging openings adapted to register with said second openings for Withdrawing goods from the respective compartment facing the respective discharging opening, said guiding means having passage means therethrough located outside the range of said discharging openings for connection with the respective adjacent compartment through said first openings thereof and being closed relative to the respective compartment within the range of said discharging openings, subdivided tray means in said compartments and withdrawable therefrom, said tray means being. provided with handles including contact means, first door means for selectively closing and opening said loading opening, second door means for, selectively opening and closing said discharging openings, saidsecond door means being provided with contacts normally engaging the con- 1 2 tacts of said tray means, and a coin receiving mechanism comprising electric circuit means adapted in response to the insertion of a coin payment to be closed by engagement of said contacts of said respective tray means and said second door. means adjacent thereto for opening the latter.

17. An arrangement according to claim 16, in which the respective second door means ofan empty compartment remains closed in spite of the placement of a coin payment into said coin receiving mechanism.

18. An arrangement according to claim 17, which includes means adapted in response to the insertion of a coin payment in said coin receiving. mechanism to move a compartment filled withgoods to the place of an empty compartment.

19. In a multiple compartment refrigeration installation: a housing, cold air producing means arranged within the upper portionot saidhousing, tubular air guiding means substantially centrally arranged within said housing and extending from said cold air producing means to the lower portion of said housing, a plurality of groups of compartments for receiving. goods to be dispensed, the groups being. arranged one. above the other so that the compartments of each group are annularly arranged around said guiding. means, means for selectively turning said groups around said guiding means, each of said compartments having a first opening adjacent said guiding means and having asecond opening adjacent the circumferential wall of said housing, said housing having a plurality of loading openings adapted to communicate with said compartments for loading the same, said housing also having: a plurality of. discharging openings adapted to register with said. second openings for withdrawing goods from the respective compartment facing the respective discharging opening, said guiding means having passage means therethrough located outside the range of said discharging openings for connection with the respective adjacent compartment through said first openings thereof and being closed relative to the respective compartments within the range of said discharging openings, first door means for selectively closing and opening said loading openings, and second door means for selectively opening and closing said discharging openings, each of. said first door means and the loading openings pertaining thereto being arranged so as to skip one compartment of one and the same group of compartments and being offset in vertical direction by the height of one compartment.

References Cited. in the file of this patent UNHED STATES PATENTS 1,300,608 Harris Apr. 15, 1919 2,189,740 Mills Feb. 6, 1940 2,435,177 Connel et al. Jan. 27, 1948 2,480,339 Ritkin Aug. 30, 1949 2,643,169 Wells et al June. 23, 1953 2,776,035 Hebel Jan. 1, 1957 2,935,225 Jordanet al May 3, 1960 

1. IN A MULTIPLE COMPARTMENT REFRIGERATION INSTALLATION: A HOUSING, COLD AIR PRODUCING MEANS ARRANGED WITHIN THE UPPER PORTION OF SAID HOUSING, TUBULAR AIR GUIDING MEANS SUBSTANTIALLY CENTRALLY ARRANGED WITHIN SAID HOUSING AND EXTENDING FROM SAID COLD AIR PRODUCING MEANS TO THE LOWER PORTION OF SAID HOUSING, A PLURALITY OF COMPARTMENTS ANNULARLY ARRANGED AND ROTATABLE ABOUT SAID GUIDING MEANS, EACH OF SAID COMPARTMENTS HAVING A FIRST OPENING ADJACENT SAID GUIDING MEANS AND HAVING A SECOND OPENING ADJACENT THE CIRCUMFERENTIAL WALL OF SAID HOUSING WHEREBY REFRIGERATED AIR FLOWS RADIALLY IN SAID COMPARTMENTS, SAID HOUSING HAVING AT LEAST ONE LOADING OPENING ADAPTED TO COMMUNICATE WITH SAID COMPARTMENTS FOR LOADING THE SAME, SAID HOUSING ALSO HAVING A PLURALITY OF DISCHARGING OPENINGS CIRCUMFERENTIALLY SPACED FROM SAID LOADING OPENING ADAPTED TO REGISTER WITH SAID SECOND OPENINGS FOR WITHDRAWING GOODS FROM THE RESPECTIVE COMPARTMENT FACING THE RESPECTIVE DISCHARGING OPENING, SAID GUIDING MEANS HAVING PASSAGE MEANS THERETHROUGH LOCATED CIRCUMFERENTIALLY OUTSIDE THE RANGE OF SAID DISCHARGING OPENINGS FOR CONNECTION WITH THE RESPECTIVE ADJACENT COMPARTMENT THROUGH SAID FIRST OPENINGS THEREOF AND BEING CLOSED RELATIVE TO THE RESPECTIVE COMPARTMENTS WITHIN THE CIRCUMFERENTIAL RANGE OF SAID DISCHARGING OPENINGS, FIRST DOOR MEANS FOR SELECTIVELY CLOSING AND OPENING SAID LOADING OPENING, AND SECOND DOOR MEANS FOR SELECTIVELY OPENING AND CLOSING SAID DISCHARGING OPENINGS. 